Envelope opening machine



Dec. 29, 1931. A, J KElSR 1,838,840

ENVELOPE OPENING MACHINE Filed May 31, i928 s sheets-sheet 1 al; ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1931. vA. J. KEISER ENVELOPE OPENING MACHINE Fild May 51, 1928 "s sheets-sheet s INVENTOR rZur/Msef .L l. A

kn's ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1931.

A. J. KEISER ENVELOPE OPENING MACHINE Filed May 5l, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR BY a La ATTORNEYv Patented Dec. 29, r1931 g UNITEnfSrrEs ARTHUR J. KErsER,ornoonnsrniannw Yon-K,';ass1onon 'ro BIRCHER coMPANY,

or ROCHESTER, New -Yoni:, e. conroa'riorror NEW YORK inc.,

Application filed -May31f192-8. Serial No. 281,647,

The present invention relates toenvelope opening machines. An 'object thereof is to provide a novel vnieansfor mounting a pair of' rotary cutters solas toobtain a shearing `cutting action. Another object for" the invenf tion isto provide a novelineans for adustinga pair of rotary cutters to vary the width ofthe cut. Still another object of the invention is toy provide means for vcreating pressure upon the edgefof an envelope to move elevation* ;V

parts, all ofwhich will'be hereinafter `described: the novel features being pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings: Y Fig. l is a plan view of an envelope open* machine vconstructed V.in accordance with this-invention; p i

Fig. 2is a view ofthe machine. infront Fi-g. 3 is a section on the line 3.-.-3,Fig. 2; Fig, l is an enlarged fragmentary plan `View illustrating the envelope just prior to the latt-er s engaging the cutter;

i F ig. 5 1s a fragmentary detail view of the means on the guide platefor producing an inward pressure on the edge of the envelope fFig. 6 is a horizontal fragmentary-section substantially in the plane of the envelope Fig. 7 is va fragmentary View partially in Vsection showing the manner in which the envelope engages the cutter; and y Fig. 8is a section on the line 8 8 Fig. 7. Referring tothe illustrated embodiment of the invention, l indicates ahousing, which, in this instance, encloses a motor (not shown) employed for driving a cutting mechanism and a feeding mechanism.

`The cftting mechanism, `in this instance,

embodies an upper cutter 2 in the form of a circular diskV secured to Va'shatt 3 which has rotary or vaxial movement 1n a. bearing member 4; iiorineidonnthe housing 1 and `proje`et l ing above the latter;V v The sharnt visinade hollow at 5 at its inner end toreceiveaheli eal spring 6 which abuts thebottom 'ofthe hollow portion andalso a shortrod fit# ting in said hollow portion and abutting an vadjustablescrew 8 at its other end,` the screw serving'the purpose of increasing or decreasing the ytensionon the spring 5. CooperatingWith the upper cutter` is j a'lower cutter 9 secured on afshaft'l() which 'turns inthe bearingi below thetop platev ortablell ofthe casing or housing l; This sliaftl'O is driven throughfa large pulley 12 on the shaft l() and within'adetachablehousing 13 which encloses an endless belt let connecting with the motor i (not shown), `The cutter "9 is also of disk formation an'd'has rear face engaged by thefcutter 2, the peripheries of the two cutters overlapping, and the spring 5` holding the cutter 2 with yielding pressure against said face. VThe shafts 3 and l() yare slightly out of verticalV alignment so' tha`t therev is a shearing action produced bythe two cutter blades.

`l/Viththeiend in view oi'varying the depth of an edge, means is provided for shifting the plane of operation the cutter 9 and at the same time the cutter 2, in this instance, this :means comprises a longitudinally adjustable krodl't'qwhich at one endhas aball and socket connection 16 with; the shaft *10" and atthe 1 other end is externally threaded at 17, the eX- i. 'ternally threaded portion having a nut i8 adl jjustable thereon to provide for -iine` adjustment and cooperating with an ac'ljustable abutment 19.A which provides lor roughfadjustmentV `Thisadjustable abutment, in this instance, ris in the form of an externally threaded member, which is mounted to rotate linfand move axially of a fixed internally threadedsleeve 20 mounted in the front wall of the housing l. The rotary member 19 has an axially aligned .bore or pocket in which projects sothat the adjustable lnut-19 may cooperate with the end of the rotary abutment2l. By turning the rotary abutment of. the cutoi' the cutting mechanism upon the V yenvelopes, in order to take 'offniore' or less the externally threaded end 17 of: theiod 19 through the finger piece 22, the rod 15 will shift longitudinally either under or against the action of the spring 5 which acts on the cutter 2. In one direction of adjustment, the spring 5 shifts the cutter to cause the latter to shift the cutter 9 axially and consequently the shaft 10 and the rod 15, causing the nut 18 to follow the end of the rotary abutment 19, whereas, in the other direction of adjustment this movement is reversed and compresses the spring 5.

The envelopes to be opened are stacked against the guide plate 23 which projects vertically above the table or envelope support 11, a stackerplate 24 being projected forwardly vfrom the guide plate and having its lower end 25 deflected toward the cutting mechanism. To elevate the rear end of the stack an inclined member 26 is provided which lifts the stack of envelopes from the table at the rear end of the stack, while the forward lower end of the stack cooperates with the feeding mechanism.

The feeding mechanism, in this instance, comprises an endless belt 27 of circular cross section passing about two pulleys 28 and 29, the latter being arranged on the shaft 10 and being held thereto by a clamping nut 30 which also serves to clamp the rotary cutter '9 to the shaft 10. The belt 27 not only has a traveling motion but it tends to twist or turn during rotation, in a known manner, so as to act on the under surface of the envelope 31 to move the latter toward the guide plate 23. A

grooved presser foot 32 is pivotally connected at 33 to two slides 34 which are vertically guided on the movable frame 35 bolted at 36 to the guide plate 23. This presserl'foot cooperates with the upper surfaces of the envelopes 31 as the latter are mov-ed forwardly and laterally 'by the feed belt 27 As the envelopes approach the cutting point, it is desirable that a bulged condition of the-envelope `adjacent tbe-edge to -be cut be produced in order that the contents of the envelope be shifted away from said edge and a better grip of the cutting mechanismen the envelopes may be obtained. With this end in view, means is provided over which the edge of the envelope ris caused to travel, this i means being situated in immediate proximity to the cutting point and producing an inward pressure on the edge of the envelope greater than that produced by the guide plate in the travel of the envelope to the `cutting point.

In this instance, this means comprises a re-` duced extension 37 on the guide plate 23 which is bent or deflected at 38 preferably about ten-thousandths of an inch. This ex tension is extended as close as possible to the cutting :point of the cutting mechanism and ,preferably hast-two convergingside flanges 39 extending throughout the greater yportion thereof, so as to prevent the lateral shifting of the envelope while at the same time direct ing it in a straight line to the cutting point. This pressure device produces a bulging of the envelope as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings and enables the cutters 2 and 9 to more effectively grip the envelope.

The operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing but may be summarized as follows. The envelopes are placed in a stack beyond the stacker plate 24 so that the lowest envelope in the stack rests at its forward end upon the belt 27. As the belt moves, the envelopes are fed forwardly successively from the bottom of the stack beneath the stacker plate 24 and beneath the presser foot 32, each envelope at the same time being given a lateral movement toward the guide Aplate 23 so that as it moves forwardly, it travels in engagement with the guide plate. .I ust before the cutting point is reached, each envelope travels in engagement with the edge of the pressing device 37, which being projected inwardly with reference 4to the envelope, presses said edge inwardly producing a Vbulged con dition, thus moving the contents away from said edge and giving a more desirable portion to be engaged by the two cut ters. Should the amount removed from-each envelope be either too narrow or too wide, the width of the removed `portion maybe readily varied by turning the vfinger piece 22 `which will shift the cutters 2 and 9 in the direction of their axes and also relatively to the guide plate 23. The angular arrangement ofthe cutters insures a shearing action.

From the foregoing there will be seen that there `has been provided two rotary cutters with their axes at slight angles to each other to insure a shearing cutting action. A novel means has been employed for effecting a shiftingof both cutters with reference to the Xgui de for the envelopes. There has also been yprovided a novel device for producing pressure upon the edges of the envelopes as they tra-vel toward the-cutting mechanism, this pressure device being situated in proximity to the cutting point-so that a better gripof the cutting mechanism on the'envelopes will be insured.

What I claim as my invention and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an envelope opening machinea guide past which the envelopes travel, a cutting mechanism for opening an envelope as it travels along the guide embodyingtwo rotary disk cutters having overlapping yperipheries, means supporting both cutters for axial movement transversely of the guide, means tending to hold one of said cutters with resilient pressure against the other, and means for adjusting the other cutter axially to adjust both simultaneously transversely ofthe guide, said means holding the said other-cut ter in its adjusted position and comprising a screw member adjustable in the direction 'of the axis of said other cutter and means for driving the latter cutter, the first named cuttra:

ter being driven solely through its frictional engagement with the second named cutter.

2i. In an envelope opening machine, a cutting mechanism embodying two `rotary disk cutters having overlapping peripheries, a rotary shaft to which one of said cutters is se# cured, a rod secured to said shaft to permit the latter to turn relatively thereto, a screw member adjustable axially in the direction of the aXis of the shaft, and means adjustably connecting the rod to the screw member.

3. In an envelope opening machine, the combination with a guide having an opening, and two cutters mounted adjacent the guide opening and having overlapping peripheries` for cutting an edge of envelopes movable along the guide, an envelope edge pressing device in the form of an extensionV on the guide within said opening, projected toward the cutting point of the cutting mechanismV and projected forwardly Vfrom the plane of the guide in the plane of the edge of the envelope moving to the cutters along the guide to press the edge away fromA the guide just before the edge reaches the cutters, and mechanism for feeding envelopes along the guide and against and along the envelope edge pressing device.

4. In an envelope machine, the combination with a guide, and cutting mechanism for cutting the edges of envelopes moved along the guide, of an envelope edge pressing device arranged in the path of an envelope moving along the guide, projecting forwardly from the plane of the guide at a point in immediate proximity to the cutting mechanism,

said edge pressing means being adapted to press inwardly the contacting portion of the envelope edge to move the contents of thel envelope out of line of the cutters.

ARTHUR J. KEISER. 

